The Schott Foundation for Public Education is pleased to announce Michael S. Wotorson is joining Schott as Director of the National Opportunity to Learn Network today. In this position, he will work closely with grantees and allies to cultivate and support effective grassroots organizing and campaigns that build a more racially just and equitable public education system for all children.

“We are very pleased to welcome Michael, who brings a wealth of experience in philanthropy, public education and civil rights to the Schott team,” said John H. Jackson, Schott President, and CEO. “His commitment to supporting grantees and transforming the philanthropic sector will be a tremendous asset to Schott and our partners.”

Michael brings extensive philanthropic expertise from his time as a Senior Community Impact Officer with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. There he managed grant-making and outreach activities in key areas including student educational progress, gun violence reduction, and community safety.

Michael has centered his commitments to racial justice and civil rights throughout his professional life. In addition to providing grant-making support to the Hartford Foundation’s Black Giving Circle, Latino Endowment Fund, and Catalyst Endowment Fund, he has worked for national and regional organizations including the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium.

Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in comparative political systems from the University of Missouri-Columbia and he completed doctoral coursework in Education Administration at American University in Washington, DC.